Why should I hire a professional DJ?

In the age of Pandora, Spotify, and large iTunes libraries, some ask “why hire a professional wedding DJ“. I can just plug in a device and press play. Problem solved! Not exactly.

Sure it sounds tempting. Why spend big money on a DJ when you can just rent a speaker and an hook up an iPod or even better, why not just make a Spotify playlist or something similar. There are TONS of articles out there of DIY brides that are claiming it was so great. But there are a lot of pitfalls to this practice:

Experience

There are a number of things that can go wrong at a wedding. Sometimes the smallest thing can cause a domino effect throughout the evening. Do you really want to spend tons of time troubleshooting why something is not working? Do you really want the burden of remembering what needs to happen when? The DJ sets the tone and the pace of the evening through the music that is played, it’s critical to know how long each stage typically will take, to know where things can be shifted around and where they cannot. With the right DJ you can let them worry about that and concentrate on making lasting memories.

Professional-Grade Equipment

Sound quality is important. Great sound typically only comes from great professional equipment. A typical home stereo will not produce the sound clarity and dynamics required for events like yours. Once you start to add many people into the mix, or you setup things outdoors, the sound from the speakers can become drowned out. Renting equipment cannot guarantee that it’s not been abused or that it’s of sufficient quality.

This is why DJs invest in professional-grade loudspeakers capable of significantly more power and overall sound quality. Speaker stands elevate the sound and carry it above the crowd while subwoofers enhance the low-end frequencies so that the thump can be heard and experienced. Quality decks and a mixer or a controller allows for proper mixing and smooth transitions. Only a professional DJ with the right equipment can create the best experience for the environment.

Song Selection And Mixing

There is more to the art of DJing than just having a large library of music. It’s having the knowledge of literally thousands of artists and tens of thousands of songs and how pair songs together, many times from different genres or time periods, and transition them seamlessly. If you rely on auto-shuffling your music could start on a very high energy song and then abruptly change to a slow song. Now what energy you had has long since dissipated. Sure you can make a playlist, but what if the vibe that is going on with your crowd really dislikes the song? A professional DJ’s primary focus is to deliver the right songs at the right time to keep the party rockin’.

Lighting

Professional DJ Lighting brings excitement and ambiance to your event. From simple “par cans” to light up the stage, “uplighting” to add a beautiful ambiance to the room, to extravagant lighting displays to wow the audience. Professional DJ Lighting makes your event turn from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Truth About Rental Equipment

There are some people that feel if they just rent “professional” equipment that they will save money. While yes it’s true that just renting equipment will save you money, the cost of that equipment tends to cost more money than people initially expect. To add to that, many people will not know how to properly operate the equipment which just leads to a disaster of a wedding.

Consider how much it costs to rent:

Rent pro-quality of sound gear ($>1000)

Hire someone to deliver it, set it up and break it down? ($300)

Buy the bare minimum of the music you would need ($200)

Hire a professional Master of Ceremonies? ($>400)

Hire “on-call” backup services in case of emergencies? ($200)

Rent basic lighting ($>150)

That totals over $2250… for the BASICS.

How much is your wedding reception worth to you? Many brides and grooms wish they spent more of their budget on a DJ and those that did say that their value was worth considerably more. Consider a quality DJ for your event!

Author Biography: Lou Paris of Paris Creative

Lou Paris has been DJing since 1988 and has a deep passion for music of all styles and genres and became a wedding DJ in 2012. Coincidentally, Lou is also a successful 20+ year IT professional and has merged many technology concepts to ensure a successful night of entertainment. Click here to learn more about Lou's background.